Two New Container Houses in Onagawa

AAR Japan, together with International journalist and project founder, Mr. Izuru SUGAWARA has been carrying out a project to send easy-to-build container houses to the disaster affected areas in Northern Japan. On May 10^th, to provide housing for the evacuees who has been suffering from the prolonged life at the evacuation centers, we set up 6 container houses in Onagawa Town (Oshika County, Miyagi Prefecture). On May 22^nd, two new container houses were installed in Onagawa Town.

 
The project founder, Mr. Izuru SUGAWARA reports on the activities on May 22^nd.

Setting New Houses up in the Blink of an Eye



May 22^nd – A container house built in no time. We counted on the help of many this time, too.



On May 22^nd (Sunday), we headed again to Onagawa Town but this time in Omaehama area for assembling the second set of container houses. The pavilion of Omae Civic Center was being used as an evacuation center in which approximately 30 people lived. Here, a total of 6 container houses were supposed to be set up, but unfortunately, because some parts of the container houses imported from China were broken, we could only assemble two container houses.

This time, too, the majority of the assembling activities were carried out by Sendai’s Osaki Hachimanguu Shrine, led by Chief Priest ONOME, and by staff from Tohoku Grader Inc. a prehab company in Sendai and other volunteers. Staff from Osaki Hachimanguu Shrine were working skillfully and efficiently, so even Chief Priest ONOME joked,  "We’ve completely become ‘Osaki Industries’, haven’t we?!”

May 22^nd – Beds and handmade tables inside the container house. The tables were provided by Nishikoba Contractors in Saitama.

In no time, the container houses assembled by the skillful “Osaki Industries” started to show up. It was completed only after around 2 hours of work. A light rain slowed down the work, but in an hour and a half, the interior and the beds were assembled, too.

This time, we also provided low tables. Nishikoba Contractors from Saitama, which built my house, made 10 cute low tables with surplus material and delivered them to Onagawa. I’d like to thank them for their cooperation and consideration. Thank you very much.
Also, I’d also like to thank Sangetsu Co. Ltd., who donated some carpets to AAR JAPAN this time, as well as delivered some low tables and carpets to the 6 container houses built before.

We finished cleaning the inside of the house before 3 PM and left Omaehama behind. Now, we just have to wait for the missing parts of the 4 remaining houses to arrive from China, to continue assembling the container houses. People at evacuation centers, we ask for a little bit more patience.

Flooding Demands on the Container Houses

Since we started the container house project, we have been receiving numerous requests from the disaster affected areas. Nevertheless, the truth is that due to funding problems, we haven’t been able to increase the number of container houses to provide.

Miyagi Prefecture Fisheries Cooperative’s Utatsu Branch says that they want to use the container houses as an office and also a temporary store. In a recent inspection, it was discovered that in 13 locations of the Minami-Sanriku Town’s Utatsu Bay, there wasn’t as much rubble as imagined. Cooperative members are gathering materials and boats to restart the culture activities by August and are designing a plan to carry on recovery activities of the fishery industry by rotating boats and workplaces. They say they want a container house to open a temporary office for the cooperative.

In a certain temple, tsunami carried away all the Buddha statues and other items from the main and annex buildings, as well as from the ground. The temple guardians removed the broken roof top and didn’t think twice about the danger when they entered the place and started rescuing the numerous Buddha statues and other Buddhist items from the rubble. They want to re-open the temple and use the container house as an office and also as a resting place.

Minami-Sanriku Town Fire Department building was flushed away by the tsunami and is now using a space lent by the city hall temporary building. However, they have no storage for their equipment and no nap room. Childcare facilities providing services to approximately 100 children also requested container houses.

In Ishinomaki City, social education organizations have not been able to perform their daily activities because most of the places, such as civic centers and other gathering places, are being used as evacuation centers. There’s not even a place for everyone to meet or gather to discuss regional recovery. Hearing the current situation of the people in the disaster affected areas and realizing how much they are awaiting for the container houses leaves my heart in pain.

All photos were taken by Mr. Izuru SUGAWARA.

Mr. Izuru SUGAWARA

International political analyst and international journalist. Born in Tokyo in 1969. Graduated from Chuo University with a degree in political science. Received a master’s degree in international relations from Universiteit van Amsterdam (University of Amsterdam). Has written for magazines and published books on international affairs as a freelance journalist. “Assemblable container houses are easy to transport and take only a few hours to set up. The container house project was proposed in the hope of providing comfortable living spaces quickly and efficiently while the government sets up temporary housing. We have been actively engaged in this project, from obtaining and importing the container houses to setting them up on the ground.”

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Delivering Handmade Bags to the Disaster Affected Areas

Handmade Bags Full of Encouraging Feelings to be Delivered to the Evacuees



Evacuees receive the bags from Yoshiteru HORIE (AAR JAPAN’s Secretary-General, at the center) at Sports Arena Soma, a sport facility currently used as an evacuation center.

 AAR JAPAN called volunteers from all over the country to donate tote bags during April and May. We started gathering tote bags because we heard voices from the ones living in the evacuation centers saying that a bag to carry their belongings and relief items would be very useful. A large number of people responded to our call and in only a month, we received around 5000 bags.

To deliver these bags, we visited Sport Arena Soma, in Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture on May 25^th. Around 80 people are currently living there, using the judo tatami room as a sleeping room.

“Wow, I’m delighted!”, says an evacuee when she saw the letter inside the tote bag.

For each tote bag, we put an AAR JAPAN’s mascot Sunny-chan’s key holder and also a letter from the person who donated the bag. People at the evacuation center happily took the bags they most liked and were saying “It’s really well made!” or “I’ll start using it right away!”, with satisfaction.

We will continue delivering the tote bags for the disaster affected areas. We would like to deeply thank everyone that sewed the tote bags



On May 26^th, we delivered tote bags to the people living outside evacuation centers, in their own houses in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture. Difficulties in receiving food and medical services still continues.




May 26^th – At Ando Elementary School, used as an evacuation center in Otsuchi Town, Iwate Prefecture. Students from Ando Elementary School are now going to Kiri-Kiri Elementary School, where temporary container houses are being built in its own school yard.

Yoshitaka SUGISAWA (Tokyo Headquarters)

Has been working at AAR JAPAN since May 2010. After graduation, worked in a private company before joining the organization. Entered the disaster affected areas on March 13^th and has been engaged in the relief activities in Northern Japan since then. (Born in Ibaraki Prefecture)

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Charity Concert to Help the Victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake: Cheer Them Up by Bossanova and Songs Praying for Tohoku

On Saturday, May 21^st, 2011, the charity concert was held for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake at the Yawaragi Hall in Gakushuin Women’s College (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo). Thankfully, the hall was full of people；nearly 400 people took part in this concert and it was a great success. The donation of 984,128 yen (as of June 7^th) will be used to help the situation in the affected area: we can keep delivering relief supplies to the evacuees, providing mobile clinic, repairing the facilities for persons with disabilities and elderly people and so on. We deeply appreciate the support from the people who came and participated in the concert.



A harmonious sound of Bossanova. From left, Mr. Atsushi SUZUKI, Mr. Sanshiro and Mr. Jun Kimura from Sapatos.



Today’s guest, Sapatos (Guitar: Mr. Jun KIMURA, Sax: Mr. Sanshiro) has been playing together for 9 years. In a Jazz/Bossanova group, they have broad range of admirers, the young and the old. Fortunately for AAR JAPAN, they have frequently performed at our charity concerts.

Mr. KIMURA who used to be a business man changed his career, becoming a musician. Mr. Sanshiro has performed on the street. The audience was enraptured by their exquisite performance and the bouncy/warm piano played by Mr. Atsushi SUZUKI. Also, their talk show between songs made a lot of people laugh.

Sapatos and Mr.SUZUKI played “Overjoyed” by Stevie Wonder, “Bridge over Troubled Water” by Paul Simon, and “The Girl from Ipanema” by Antonio Carlos Jobim and “Just The Way You Are” by Billy Joel. I believe that because everyone knows these songs and they are soft on the ear, the audience could relax and forget their busy days.



XUXU performing “Camilla” the song to cheer up the survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake.



Also, as a special guest, XUXU, a cappella quartet, a Cultural Ambassador for Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture, came to join us and sang “Camellia,” the song dedicated to Ofunato City's survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake. After the earthquake, XUXU visited Ofunato City to sing and cheer up the evacuees, and they presented their activities with pictures.



Ayumi YASUDA reported the situation after the earthquake. Right is the host, Taki KATO, Deputy Chairperson of AAR JAPAN.

The second stage started with the presentation of Ayumi YASUDA, part of AAR JAPAN staff, who delivered emergency relief supplies to Sendai City. She also reported on the current situation with pictures.

Here are some comments from the audience today.

l         The players were friendly and I could relax listening to their music. (woman in her 60’s)

l         I love the songs of Billy Joel. I am really happy that Sapatos and Mr. SUZUKI played his song. (woman in her 70’s)

l         I saw the activities of AAR JAPAN with the persons suffering from a hard life such as persons with disabilities and elderly people through the presentation and pictures. (woman in her 30’s)

This concert is co-sponsored with the class of Prof. Yukiko ITO at Gakushuin Women’s College and is supported by Sojo-Committee (Gakushuin Women’s College Alumni Association) to lend the Yawaragi Hall. We are thankful for their tremendous effort: the teachers, members of the Committee and the students at the college.



Keiko AKIBA

Worked at AAR JAPAN from December 2002 to July 2004 as a resident officer in Zambia and Angola. After getting married, stayed in China for about 5 years because of her husband’s work. After getting back in Japan, came back to work at AAR JAPAN again. A mother of an only child. Likes traveling. Born in Ibaraki.


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Tajikistan – AAR JAPAN Sends a Specialist in Disabilities

Providing Advice through Home Visits

With only a partially-developed social welfare system, Tajikistan is one of the poorest of the former Soviet states. AAR JAPAN has been supporting a federation of persons with disabilities in Tajikistan’s capital of Dushanbe to improve the difficult circumstances faced by persons with disabilities.

From April 27^th to May 10^th, 2011, AAR JAPAN sent Mr. Makoto KONO, an occupational therapist and medical expert from the health department of Kyorin University, to offer consultations and seminars in Dushanbe. Along with staff from the federation of persons with disabilities, Mr. KONO visited children with disabilities at their homes to provide counseling for them and their families. The mother of Anora, a 4-year-old girl whose legs have been affected by spina bifida, asked if the disability could be cured by surgery. Mr. KONO advised her, “It cannot be cured by surgery, but undergoing rehabilitation can enable her to walk.” He further recommended that she go out and actively interact with others.

Mr. KONO gives rehabilitation advice to the family of Anora, a 4-year-old girl with a disability that affects her legs.

Seminar for Staff

AAR JAPAN also conducted a seminar for the staff of the federation of persons with disabilities, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, and a day-care facility for children with disabilities. Mr. KONO gave a lecture focusing on community-based rehabilitation (CBR), basic knowledge of disabilities required for welfare providers, and examples of welfare services, based on his experiences working in Uzbekistan. Mr. KONO then offered advice on rehabilitation and daily routines to 2 children and 1 adult with disabilities, allowing the lecture participants to observe procedures for providing key information and inquiring about living conditions. The participants actively expressed their opinions and asked many questions.

People who had heard about Mr. KONO’s visit to Tajikistan, now his fourth, called AAR JAPAN’s Dushanbe office to ask that he visit their facility, or spare just five minutes to see their child. It made me realize how deeply AAR JAPAN’s support has been appreciated by persons with disabilities in Tajikistan.

In the seminar, the participants showed a deep interest in implementing CBR in Tajikistan.

From a Seminar Participant: Ms. Zarina YAKUBOWA (nurse, 43 years old)

“The examples of welfare services in Uzbekistan and Japan were really fascinating. In Tajikistan, there are many children who have been suffering from polio or cerebral palsy, yet have had no chance to be examined by experts. I will continue learning and make use of the knowledge and experience I’ve gained through this seminar in my work.”

(Photo: Ms. YAKUBOWA (left) and Naoko MIYAMOTO, AAR JAPAN (right))

                                                   Naoko MIYAMOTO, AAR JAPAN Tajikistan office

After graduation from university, she worked in a rehabilitation facility for people with intellectual disabilities as a caseworker, then worked in a school for children with disabilities in Fiji as a Japanese Overseas Cooperation Volunteer. After returning to Japan, she studied international health and public hygiene at graduate school before joining AAR JAPAN. She has been working in the Dushanbe office since June, 2010. (Born in Nagasaki Prefecture)
(Profile at the time of posting of this article)

“Please Enjoy a Delicious Meal!” – Reports From Our Soup Kitchens

AAR JAPAN has been carrying out soup kitchens from April 30^th to May 7^th at Seiyukan (a welfare facility in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture), Osawa Furusato Center, Osawa Elementary School and Yamada Town Hall (the last three in Yamada Town, Iwate Prefecture).

This is a report from Akiko KATOH, who took part in the soup kitchens held at Seiyukan.

Delivering Food at Evacuation Centers in Oshika Peninsula for 8 Days

 

May 5^th, 2011: On this day, we prepared Chinese dumplings (gyoza). We did as much as we could to provide a variegated menu every day



Seiyukan used to be a facility for persons with disabilities and for the elderly and is located in Ayukawa, Oshika Pensinsula. After the earthquake, it has been used as an evacuation center for around 140 people. Throughout the "Golden Week" holidays, AAR JAPAN provided lunch and dinner for the evacuees.

The soup kitchens held by AAR JAPAN during "Golden Week" holidays were carried out by approximately 20 people among　staff and volunteers for continuous days. Participants woke up at 6 every morning and left their accommodation sites in Sendai City and Taiwa Town, driving a car full of ingredients to be used in the soup kitchen of the day. We would usually arrive at the southern tip of Oshika Peninsula by 9 and make a brief meeting with the responsible for Seiyukan, to discuss the plan for that day and start preparing the food.

All Efforts Just to Hear Them Say “It Was Delicious”



April 30^th – AAR JAPAN deputy director Taki KATOH (in the center) also took part in serving the food.

 

Staff and volunteers from AAR JAPAN shared tasks to decide on who should be responsible for preparing the main dishes and the side dishes in order to deliver the meals on time.

Putting our efforts into preparing good food to the evacuees was no easy task, but hearing words as “Today’s menu was delicious” and “Being served a different menu every day makes me anxiously wait to see tomorrow’s!” was really rewarding.

Until "Golden Week" Holidays, all the meals served at Seiyukan were prepared by the evacuees themselves, so we from AAR JAPAN were glad to give them a long deserved rest.

Efforts to Improve the Life at Evacuation Centers

May 3^rd – Cleaning the toilets is also important work!



During the period we delivered to soup kitchens, we didn’t just prepare meals, but also helped to clean the toilets, weed the lawn, play with the kids and help them with homework, since these activities are also very important to improve the lives of those living at the evacuation centers.

A boy who was usually in the baseball team at school but didn’t have the chance to play it lately, expressed how happy he was to play catch-ball with one of the volunteers.

May 6^th - AAR JAPAN staff Takeshi IKEDA (second from right) and Tomoya Soejima (third from right) with kids from Seiyukan.

In the last day, people living in the facility thanked us for going there and invited us to visit them again. The kids were lamenting having to say goodbye to the staff members they became friends with. It was a real short time, but we were really glad to bring joy to everyone there.

By preparing their meals every day, we got the chance to taste the difficulties faced by the ones living in the evacuation centers and the kids’ feelings.

AAR JAPAN is studying the possibility of continuing to deliver the soup kitchens in various locations and bring smiles by providing the evacuees with good food.

Akiko KATOH, Tokyo Headquarters

Since April 2010, was mainly responsible for projects in Haiti and Zambia at Tokyo Headquarters. After graduation, worked in a private company and got a master degree in Social Development from a British university. Before coming to AAR JAPAN, accumulated experience in governmental research institutes and foreign diplomatic missions (born in Tokyo).

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Living as Evacuees – A bed lost in the tsunami, recycling wood buried in the rubble…

Almost three months have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake. While schools have resumed and some evacuation centers have been closed or integrated, more and more survivors are moving to temporary housing or their own homes. Staff at AAR JAPAN who have been involved in aid activities in Miyagi Prefecture and Iwate Prefecture report on the severe evacuation lifestyle and survivors who have been making their own way toward the recovery.



May 30^th – Takeshi ABE delivered a water tank to Ms. CHIBA who told us that water is essential. (Kesennuma City, Miyagi Prefecture)



Spending one hour going to waterworks as the well was damaged by the tsunami

AAR JAPAN delivered drinking water, a water tank, and diapers to Ms. Chiba, who has been living as an evacuee in Warabino County, Motoyoshi Town, Kesennuma City in Miyagi Prefecture. In this area residents had been using water from a well before the earthquake, but the tsunami carried seawater and heavy oil into the well, contaminating it and making the water undrinkable. Now the residents are using water from a stream for their daily lives but spend one hour going to temporary waterworks to get drinking water.

When we delivered the water tank which can hold large amount of water, Ms. Chiba was very pleased as it has been hard for her to get information about the time and date of water supply. Looking at a heap of rubble which is still untouched, Ms. Chiba said exhaustedly, “We would feel more comfortable if this rubble was removed.” (Reporter: Takeshi ABE at Sendai office)



May 27^th – Explanation about a nursing care bed is given to Mr. ABE’s family. It is heavy and complicated to assemble, so they need help from an expert. (Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture)



Making use of wood buried in rubble to stimulate independent recovery 



Murakami Sawmill, which has been supporting the carpenters in Rikuzen-Takata City in Iwate Prefecture for a long time, is considering recycling wood buried in rubble. Doing ever more as carpenters to help in the recovery effort, they have been making wooden benches in their spare time and distributing them to temporary housing for free. They came up with this idea, hoping that the benches will be used as communication tools which will connect people living in temporary housing in the coming summer.

They have always earned their living from carpentry, so they are able to do a lot with wood, which might otherwise be wasted. The real recovery should be made by survivors themselves. AAR JAPAN will continue supporting those survivors who are looking straight ahead and making their way. (Reporter: Yuka YOKOTA at Morioka office)



May 27^th – Yuka YOKOTA, AAR JAPAN (right), is interviewing Mr. KIN, a carpenter who has been sheltered at Murakami sawmill as tools for his job as well as his houses were swept away by the tsunami. (Rikuzentakata City, Iwate Prefecture)



Widen the circle of support hand in hand with local people

“Yamada Kyosei workshop” in Yamada Town in Iwate Prefecture has been a base for supply distribution to persons with disabilities and the elderly in the area; including a person with a mental disability who lives alone deep in the mountains, a person with a visual impairment whose shop and house were completely destroyed, and a 83-year-old woman who has been staying in a shed and running a shop.

Among the survivors in their own homes, in particular, it is not easy to grasp the evacuation status of persons with disabilities and the elderly. We can widen the circle of support by cooperating with people like Yamada kyosei workshop which works as a base in the area. Mr. SATO, Chief of the facility, said, “We would like to keep close contact with AAR JAPAN and cooperate to support people who have been in trouble in their houses in Yamada area.” (Reporters: Ryo OIKAWA and Teruyo MIYAGAWA at Morioka office)



May 31^st – Ryo OIKAWA (right end) and Teruyo MIYAGAWA (left end) delivered foods such as vegetables and fruits to Mr. Sato, Chief of Yamada kyosei workshop. (Yamada Town, Iwate Prefecture)



(Reporters: Ryo OIKAWA and Teruyo MIYAGAWA at Morioka office)

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Difficulties Faced by Hard-to-reach Survivors in Fukushima Prefecture

AAR JAPAN has been engaged in aid and relief activities for survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake. On May 19^th, we delivered electric cookers, electric kettles, garbage bags, towels, underwear, socks, and snacks to “Senior Garden”, a facility for the elderly in Fukushima City, and “Ekuseru”, a group home in Soma City, both in Fukushima Prefecture.

The Elderly with Dementia Relocate from One Shelter to Another.

“Senior Garden” is a group home for the elderly with dementia, which had been run in Tomioka Town, Futaba County in Fukushima Prefecture. As the facility was located within 9km of Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, on the evacuation order from the government, they had to evacuate to a room of a noodle restaurant in Kawauchi Village in the same county. In Kawauchi, however, the residents were also ordered to remain inside the houses, but it was difficult for the elderly with dementia to stay together in big evacuation centers. They had no place to go, but Fukushima Prefectural Group Home Council for Dementia introduced them to a facility in Fukushima City. From March 22^nd, they have rented an apartment in Fukushima City to run a group home, providing service to 15 people at present.

For the elderly with dementia, even small environmental changes can cause great stress. A 70-year-old man, one of the users of Senior Garden, had a hemorrhage due to a stomach ulcer, vomited blood, and discharged blood due to the stress caused by the severe evacuation lifestyle. With his blood pressure falling to 70, he was transported to hospital immeditately, but it was not until he was given a screening test for exposure to radiation that he was finally accepted to emergency hospital.

Mr. Yasuhiro SUZUKI, Managing Director of Senior Garden, and his wife Yoko, Executive Director, have been making desperate effort to protect lives of users and staff at the facility. Ms. Yoko SUZUKI said, “This group home is a second family for us. We don’t know when we can go back to Tomioka Town, but we’ve been trying to keep our spirits up under the determination that we’ll be at their side when our users die.” However, living as evacuees has been undermining the health of many users (two of them are in hospital now), and sufficient support hasn’t reached the users. They requested long-term support of consumable goods and foods from us.

Every staff member at Senior Garden was providing great care with a warm smile for the users, and I realized that conversation and interchange with the staff is essential “medicine” for the health of users.

May 19^th – Ms. Yoko SUZUKI (center), Executive Director of Senior Garden, is taking care of a user whose health has deteriorated due to living as an evacuee. On the right is Yasushi TANAKA, AAR JAPAN. (Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture)

In the Midst of Anxiety over the Situation at the Nuclear Power Plant and Lack of Supplies

Ekuseru is a group home for people with Dementia in Soma City. It is located 37km away from Fukuchima Dai-ichi power plant, and is now taking care of 9 elderly people including 3 who are bedridden.

Being affected by the situation at the nuclear power plant after the earthquake, they are still having difficulty receiving enough relief supplies. In summer the temperature will rise up to 33°Celcius, and they worry how to manage the heat as electricity shortages are expected. However, they can’t move to another place either, as environmental change can make people with dementia go into panic.

In the seacoast area in Fukushima Prefecture, where Ekuseru is situated, people have suffered from the unpredicted anxiety over the nuclear power plant, fear of radiation, evacuation orders, and insufficient supply distribution. Today’s visit made us realize that such anxiety especially bears on people at welfare facilities, for persons with disabilities, and the elderly.

AAR JAPAN will continue our aid activities for hard-to-reach people, like those at facilities for the elderly in Fukushima Prefecture.

May 19^th – AAR JAPAN delivered supplies to people at Ekuseru. (The back row, the second from the left is Yasushi TANAKA, AAR JAPAN) (Soma City, Fukushima Prefecture)

Yasushi TANAKA (Sendai office)

Being involved in aid activities for survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake from April 2011

Worked in finance company for 14 years after graduating from university

After taking environmental studies at American university and working at Japanese company in Vietnam, joined AAR JAPAN

(Born in Yamaguchi Prefecture)

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